Compressor pump



Oct. 12, 1948. BURKE 2,451,379

CQMPRESSOR PUMP Filed May 26, .1945

1 {9 INVENTOR. h area .enrflazltt Patented Get. 12,

UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE COMPRESSOR PUMP Byron R. Burke, .Los Angeles,-Calif. Application May 26, 1945, Serial No. 595,985 7 Claims. (01. 103 17 s) Thisinvention relates to improvements in compressors or pumps and may be regarded as an improvement over the construction disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,106,236, issued January 25,1938.

In my prior patent there is disclosed a compressor wherein there is -a central wobble plate surrounded by an annularly arranged group of cylinders within which pistons are reciprocable. The pistons are normally urged to the bottoms of their strokes within the cylinders by compression springs but are forced to the tops of their strokes by connectors which operatively connect .the pistons with the wobble plate, When the wobble plate is driven at relatively low speeds this type of construction has proven quite satisfactory. However, when the wobble plate is driven at high speeds the inertia of the pistons is suchthat the springs are incapable of maintaining the'pistons in tight or firm engagement with the connectors. Consequently under these high speed conditions the connectors and pistons mmentarily separate from each other, the sepa. ration being almost instantly taken up by the springs urging the pistons to the bottoms of their strokes. This momentary separation of the pistons 'from the connectors which is immediately taken up results in considerable noise and. objectionable vibration as well as being conducive to unnecessary wear.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved compressor or pump having a wobble plate around which cylinders are arranged and within which cylinders, pistons are reciprocable that are urged to the bottoms of their strokes by compression springs and to provide'a novel connection between the wobble plate and the pistons which will enable the wobble plate to be driven at high speeds without having theattendant objectionable vibration or noise.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a connection construction between the'pistons and .the wobble plate which will permit the connectors to drop or fall away from their pistons under high speed conditions and which will effectively cushion the shock when the pistons :are ultimately forced or returned toward the connectors by the compression spring. In my prior patent also the construction disclosed therein is such that the connectors are effectively tied to the wobble plate so that the wobble plate cannot rotate relatively thereto. Provision is also made for guiding the wobble plate-during its wobbling action so as to hold it against rotation. I find thatin a construction of this character as the wobble plate is driven that it tends to rotate relative to the bearing on which it is supported and that the guide in holding the wobble .plate against rotation due to the friction necessarily present causes some additional power to 'be unnecessarily supplied in driving the -wobble plate.

An object of the present invention is to provide an approved pump or compressor wherein the wobble plate 'is not held against rotation and the connection between the pistons and the wobble plate is such that the wobble plate is'free to rotate relatively thereto thus eliminating the unnecessary expenditure of power in overcoming the friction required to hold the wobble plate against rotation.

Still a further object of the .invention'is'to "provide a pump or compressor having the above described characteristics wherein the point of 'engagement betweenthe connectors and the wobble plate is disposed well below 'the center about which the wobble plate wobbles so that as the wobble plate forces the connectors to move the pistons to the tops of their strokes the line of force throughout the length of strokes of the pistons will more closely approach'the line of travel of the pistons.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in theappended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the improved .pump or compressor embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the .line 2-2 upon Fig. 1 in the direction indicated; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through one of the pistons on a somewhat enlarged scale.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, .the improved pump .or compressor consists of a suitable housing or cylinder block 10 within which is rotatable a .drive shaft ll connected by an arm [2 to the column l3 of a Wobble plate l4. Column 13 ispreferably made up of telescopically arranged sectionsso as to be extensible or collapsible. It maybe constructed similar to thedisclosure made in Fig. .10 of my .prior patent omitting screw 13 .so as to enable telescopic movement to take place. The arm l2 may be in the nature of a leaf spring so as to be relatively stifi in an .edgewise direction and are adapted to seat on the seats 24.

3 but bendable or yieldable in a direction axially of the drive shaft I I. The wobble plate is mounted on a spherical bearing I5 so that as the drive shaft I I is driven the wobble plate will wobble relatively to the bearing. Within the housing or cylinder block there are cylinders I6 arranged around the axis of rotation of the drive shaft II and the center of wobbling of the wobble plate. Within these cylinders there are pistons II which are urged toward the wobble plate by means of compression springs I8 disposed about the cylinder liners I9 and bearing on flanges 20 of the pistons. The pistons may be of integral construction or may be fabricated and likewise the wobble plate may be of a single integral construction or may be fabricated. 7

One feature of the invention concerns primarily the connection between the wobble plate and the pistons. The pistons have axial bores 22 extending therethrough. At the upper or head end of the piston there are valve seats 23 and spaced from these valve seats there are additional valve seats 24. The valve seat 24 is adequately large to permit of the insertion therethrough of a ball 25 adapted to seat on the valve seat 23 and urged to seat'thereon by a compression spring 26 which can also be passed through the valve seat 24. Balls 21 are disposed in the passages or bores 22 The connectors are illustrated at 28 having stems which telescope within the lower or skirt ends of the pistons and which are engageable with the balls 21. These connectors have heads 29 which engage the wobble plate I 4. The heads have bevelled edges which are preferably slightly rounded as indicated at 30 which bear against or engage directly with the fiat surface SI of the wobble plate.

In the head of the housing or cylinder block I there may be a valve action which controls or regulates egress of gas or liquid from the cylinders I6. This valve action may conform to the valve action disclosed in my prior patent or it may be of any conventional design. I have illustrated ingress to the cylinders as being provided through ports 32 from passages 33. The ball I is equipped with a'shank 34 having a washer or piston 35 secured thereto which is movable in a, cylinder 36. Pressure may be supplied to this cylinder, such as by a conduit 37 that may be connected to the high side or outlet from the compressor or pump. The pressure so applied urges the ball I5 toward the drive shaft II and in this way a variation in the capacity of the compressor or pump is possible. Thus, if a low pressure is conducted to the cylinder 38, such as may be occasioned by a, relatively light load the bearing I5 and the wobble plate supported thereon may recede from the drive shaft I I, thus allowing the pistons to recede from the cylinder head. Conversely, if a high pressure is conducted to the cylinder 36 the pistons may be advanced by the wobble plate toward the cylinder head so that the pressure at which the liquid or gas is delivered from the compressor or pump can be increased. Movement of the wobble plate toward and away from the cylinder head is permitted by the telescopic action of the column I3.

The operation and advantages of the abovedescribed construction are as follows: Assuming that the drive shaft II is driven at relatively high speed so as to likewise cause the wobble plate I4 to likewise wobble at relatively high speed when the pistons are driven to the upper or head end of their strokes the inertia of the pistons is such that the springs I8 are incapable of causing the pistons to be continuously urged toward the wobble plate. In other words, there may be instances when the wobble plate has its fiat surface 3I receding from a given piston faster than the springs I8 can overcome the inertia of the piston and keep it pressed toward the wobble plate. As the construction disclosed herein is used as a compressor for gas a portion of the gas will enter the bores 22, pass the check valve and be entrapped therein by the check valve. This entrapped portion of the gas will have a pressure equal to the pressure to which the gas is compressed by the piston at the top or head end of the stroke. If the wobble plate I4 has its surface 3| receding slightly from the piston because of the high speed' at which it is driven and the inability of the springs I8 to instantly overcome the inertia of the piston, this entrapped gas under pressure will escape past valve 2'! and become efiective on the tops of-the stems 28 to urge the connectors which are of relatively small masses to continue in engagement with the surface 3 I. Thereafter, spring I8 will overcome the inertia of its piston and cause the piston to take up the slack momentarily existing between the piston and its connector. As this slack is taken up the top or end of the stem 28 acts as a piston tending to return the gas into the space between valve seat 24 and valve seat 23 thus recompressing the gas in this chamber to approximately the pressure to which the gas is compressed by the piston when at the top or head end of its stroke. This recompression of the gas occasioned by the slack being taken up between the pistons and their connectors functions to cushion the return of the pistons and their conv nectors to their normal positions thus eliminating objectionable noise, vibration, and pounding,

If the device herein illustrated is used as a pump for pumpingliquids which are relatively incompressible and inexpansible a liquid in the" space between the valve seats 23 and 24 may trickle through valve seat 24 whenever the connector recedes from the ball 21 and such liquid will also efiectively cushion the return of the pis-' tons to its connector in that the liquid must be crowded back through the relatively small valve seat 24. Thus, even though a liquid is employed which is relatively inexpansible and incompressible it will serve to cushion the returning movement between the piston and its connector. When a liquid is employed it is possible to dispense with the ball or valve 25 entirely and also spring 26,

It will be noted that in the above-described construction there is no guide or any restraining means holding the wobble plate I4 against rotation relative to the spherical bar I5. I find that in this construction of this character that with continued operation the wobble plate will naturally tend to rotate relatively to the bearing and that if such movement is restrained additional power must be supplied to overcome the friction between the wobble plate and its restraining means. With the improved construction the wobble plate can freely turn relatively to its bearing and slide or otherwise move With relation to the heads 29 on the connectors. Thus, by avoiding friction between the wobble plate and any restraining means it is unnecessary to supply power to overcome the friction occasioned by the restraint.

It is to be further noted that the surface 3| is disposed below or toward the left as viewed in Fig, 1 of the center of ball I5 which is the center of oscillation of the wobble plate. Such an ar rangement is highly preferable in that as the or to the left of the center of ball the point of engagement between the surface and any connector more closely approaches the line of travel of the connector and of its piston during the movement of such point.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that the improved pump or compressor is so designed that it may be driven at quite high speeds without objectionable vibration wear or noise. Furthermore, as wear between the surface 31 and the heads 29 is distributed throughout the annular surface 30 the life of these parts is materially prolonged even under the most severe conditions.

Variouschanges may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim;

1. A compressor or pump comprising means providing a wobble plate, means for driving the wobble plate, a plurality of cylinders arranged about the wobble plate, pistons reciprocable in the cylinders, spring means urging the pistons toward the wobble plate and connectors between the pistons and the Wobble plate slidable toward the wobble plate relatively to their respective pistons and spring means urging said connectors toward said wobble plate relativelyto their respective pistons.

2. A compressor or pump comprising means providing a wobble plate, means for driving the wobble plate, a plurality of cylinders arranged about the wobble plate, pistons reciprocable in the cylinders, spring means urging the pistons toward the wobble plate and connectors between the pistons and the wobble plate movable relative to their pistons toward the Wobble plate and means for cushioning movements of the connectors toward the pistons.

3. A compressor or pump comprising means providing a wobble plate, means for driving the wobble plate, a plurality of cylinders arranged about the wobble plate, pistons reciprocable in the cylinders, spring means urging the pistons toward the wobble plate, connectors telescopically arranged in the pistons and engaging the wobble plate for reciprocating the pistons by the wobble plate and means for conducting fluid pressures in the cylinders to the connectors.

4. A compressor or pump comprising means providing a wobble plate, means for driving the wobble plate, a plurality of cylinders arranged about the wobble plate, pistons reciprocable in the cylinders, spring means urging the pistons toward the wobble plate, connectors telescopically arranged in the pistons and engaging the wobble plate for reciprocating the pistons by the Wobble plate and means for conducting fluid pressures in the cylinders to the connectors and entrapplng it in the pistons against the connectors.

5. A compressor or pump comprising means providing a wobble plate, means for driving the wobble plate, a plurality of cylinders arranged about the Wobble plate, pistons reciprocable in the cylinders, spring means urging the pistons toward the wobble plate, said pistons having passages therethrough, connectors reciprocable in said passages and engaging the wobble plate so as to be operable thereby, there being a valve seat in each passage, and means for opening and closing said seat operable by the connectors reciprocating in their passages relative to the pistons.

6. A compressor or pump comprising means providing a wobble plate, means for driving the wobble plate, a plurality of cylinders arranged about the wobble plate, pistons reciprocable in the cylinders, spring means urging the pistons toward the wobble plate, said pistons having passages therethrough, connectors reciprocable in said passages and engagin the wobble plate so as to be operable thereby there being spaced valve seats in the passages, balls adapted to seat thereon, a spring between the balls, the connectors being operable to open and close one of the balls toward its seat upon movement of the connectors relative to their respective pistons.

7. In a compressor or pump, a wobble plate, a bearing therefor about the center of which the wobble plate wobbles, means for driving the wobble plate, pistons reciprocable in cylinders arranged about the wobble plate and means on the pistons bearing against the Wobble plate serving to advance the pistons thereby, the points of engagement between each of said means on their pistons and the wobble plate being disposed in a plane on the opposite side of the center of wobbling of the wobble plate, from the pistons.

BYRON R. BURKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,933,081 Stephan Oct. 31, 1933 2,106,236 Burke Jan. 25, 1938 2,169,456 Wahlmark Aug. 15, 1939 2,214,390 Wahlmark Sept. 10, 1940 2,388,462 Beeh Nov. 6, 1945 2,402,244 Elberty June 18, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 496,065 Germany a 1930 

